Fire-extinguisher for textile machinery.



No. 770,817. PATEN'TED SEPT. 27, 1904. R. MQARTHUR. FIRE EXTINGUISHERFOR TEXTILE MACHINERY,

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1902.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES: \O INVENTOR W J/. W/fl M 3m B-Y fly hasluk ATTORNEYS UNITEDSTATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER FQR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,817, datedSeptember 27, 1904.

Application filed August 27, 1902. Serial No. 121,157. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MoAR'rHUR, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Biddeford, in the county ofYork and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Extinguishers for Textile Machinery; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improved fire-extinguisher fortextile machinery.

It is the practice in textile mills to provide the various portions oftextile machinery with automatic sprinklers, so that when fire from anycause starts in any machine the sprinkler will be set in operation andthe fire extinguished. In feeders, particularly feeders for preparingmachines of cotton machinery, the common construction of such machineshas involved the use of an open hopper, into which the cotton was placedby the workman, and which feeder automatically operated to carry suchcotton in regular and proper quantities to the other machinery, itsometimes happened that a blazing or smouldering fire would start in theopen hoppers. If the fire started into a blaze, the cotton, being highlyinflammable, would blaze up rapidly and communicate fire to otherportions of the room.

I have produced a fire-extinguisher for textile machinery which isadapted to overcome the objections which obtain against prior devicesand which embodies certain features of invention hereinafterparticularly defined and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred form of myinvention, Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation, of a cotton-feeder; and Figs. 3 and 4: are respectively anelevation and a plan of a fusible link, hereinafter referred to.

The feeder illustrated in theaccornpanying drawings (designated by thereference character 1) is the well-known Kitson automatic feeder, intowhich the cotton from the bale is thrown by the attendant. The cotton istaken up by the spiked apron 2 and carried over to the beater 3, fromwhence the cotton proceeds,

through the trunk 4, to the other machinery. The bin or hopper 5 of thefeederI have provided with a hood 6, which incloses the top of thefeeder. The hood is provided with a lid 7, hinged thereto, which isnormally held open by a link 8, secured at one end to the lid and at theother end to some stationary part of the machine. The link 8 is providedwith a fusible connection 9, (shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4,) whichconsists of two plates 10, soldered together by a solder which melts ata low temperature. I have also provided the hood with an automaticsprinkler 11.

If the cotton in the feeder should take fire, the heat would rise to thetop of the casing of the machine, where it would accumulate untilsufficient to melt the fusible connection 9 and permit the lid 7 tofall, thereby immediately inclosing the feeder and preventing the spreadof fire therefrom. The closing of the lid 7 operates to prevent theaccess of air to the machine andwill, in many cases, be sufficient toextinguish the fire. If, however, the tem perature in the feedercontinues to rise, the automatic sprinkler 11 will be set in operationand the fire will be extinguished.

I prefer that the fusible link 9 should melt at a lower temperature thanwill be sufficient to set the sprinkler in operation, so that if theclosing of the lid 7 is suflicient to extinguish the fire theinconvenience incident to the operation of the sprinkler may be avoided.

My invention contemplates the use of a casing of any sort for inclosingthe cotton or other material operated. on by a textile machine, with aclosure for the same normally held open bysome device which melts orburns or is otherwise rendered inoperative upon the application of heatto permit the inclosing means to inclose the machine, thereby preventingthe spread of the fire and tending to extinguish the same by preventingthe access of air thereto. It is highly important in this class ofmachinery that the spread of the fire should be prevented, and I believeI am the first to produce a textile machine having inclosing meansoperating .upon a rise of temperature in the machine to inclose themachine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent inclosing means to inclose the machine, and anautomatic sprinkler, said holding means being made to become inoperativeat a lower temperature than that Which starts the sprinkler so that themachine will be inclosed before the sprinkler is set in operation,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT MOARTHUR.

Witnesses:

W. S. MITCHELL, BURTON H. WINSLOW.

